William f



(No Model.) I W. P. OROSSLEY.

BICYCLE TRACK.

No. 594,331. Patented Nov. 23, 1897.

ilwi'rnn STATES ATENT Fries.

XVILLIAM F. CROSSLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BICYCLE-TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,331, dated November 23, 1897.

Application filed May 4, 1897. Serial No. 634,980. (No model.)

To ItZZ whom, it; may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. CROSSLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Bicycle-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

In riding bicycles many persons experience difficulty in going uphill on account of the additional exertion required and from rapidity in breathing, and in running over undulations or obstructions those who are not experienced are liable to receive a disagreeable shock or have to dismount.

The object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle-track upon which an inexperienced rider can practice in riding inclines that increase gradually, so that the party can practice upon greater or less inclinations and by so doing become accustomed to the diiferent conditions that exist in riding along roadways, and in addition to this the undulations in the track produce a pleasant experience which cannot be obtained on an ordinaryroad, and the track is constructed in such a manner that there is little or no risk of injury, and where a person is unable to ride up a steep incline he can turn off the same and avoid risk of running backward and colliding with some other rider.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view illustrating the track as arranged in the preferred manner. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same at the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the undulations in the track if extended in one general direction; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section at the line 4 4. Fig. 3 is on a scale of half-size of Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The track may be made of flooring-planks laid upon suitable timbers, or it may be made with a cement or concrete surface, and the track may extend in one general direction, or for the sake of lessening the fencing or inclosure of the track such track may be doubled upon itself, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the same being approximately in the form of a horseshoe.

The track is made with upward and downward inclines or undulations, and from the starting-place A, which is advantageously level, the surface is inclined alternately upward and downward at a comparatively small angle, and the angles of inclination increase at the successive undulations, commencing from the starting-point. This feature is illustrated in the diagram Fig. 3, the upward inclination O being at a greater angle than the inclination B, and the inclination D is still steeper, and it is to be borne in mind that the inclination is to be increased with the successive inclines up to the steepest incline, which advantageously is the last one in the track, so that the experienced rider in passing over the successive inclines obtains the pleasure of mounting one incline and running down the next, and so on throughout the range of inclines, and the learner commences with an incline of but a few degrees and acquires the habit of properly propelling the cycle up such incline, and he can mount the successive steeper inclines as far as his strength and experience may enable him to go.

One of the special features of this invention relates to the track with the inclinations before mentioned and inclines passing off at one side to a level or nearly level floor or road, so that the rider at any time can turn off from the incline upon a slight downgrade to a level floor or road and return to the point of beginning, and in this manner can mount the inclines in succession as practice enables him to do so.

The incline passing off from the successive inclines or undulations is represented at H, and the level or nearly level portion of the return track or roadway is shown at I. This enables the rider to turn off from either of the inclines at any place desired without being obliged to mount such incline if his strength or experience is insuflicient, and in this manner the risk of collision is avoided, because the party will not run backward down the incline, but turn off' to one side upon one of the inclines H.

It is seldom necessary to have a downward incline at both sides of the successive undulations, and I prefer to make the outer side of the track with substantially vertical walls, as at K, and to lessen the risk of accident posts L are provided at proper distances apart, with a rope 0 extending from one post to the other, and it is advantageous to support the rope from the end of an arm extending inward from the post, so that the rider may grasp the rope at any time without the machine coming into contact with the post.

In order to bring the two ends of the track near each other and to lessen the amount of fencing or inclosure necessary for the track, the end portions of the track are united by a curved middle portion P, as seen in Fig. l, and this curved portion should have a floor with the outer edge the highest, so that the cycle can run around upon such iioor in describing the curve with less risk of slipping. A floor of this character, however, has heretofore been provided in the curved portions of bicycle-tracks.

It will be understood that this character of bicycle-track can be provided at summer resorts and other places as a means for diversion and amusement as well as for promoting skill in riding cycles.

I claim as my invention 1. A track for bicycles having alternate upward and downward inclinations with the angles of inclination increasing from the starting-point, substantially as set forth.

2. A track for bicycles having alternate stantially level track whereby the party can 7 run off at one side of the undulating track onto a substantially level track, substantially as set forth.

4. The bicycle-track having upward and downward inclinations at successively-increasing angles, in combination with posts and a rope supported by the posts and running along the track substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me this 22d day of September, 1896.

V. F. OROSSLEY.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

